Ciel Chevalier
History Almost five years before Ciel arrived in Nibiru, there was a wizard from Brevoy, named Imalek. He was a burgeoning arcanist with a strong, though pragmatic sense of justice. The Android tended to look at numbers instead of individuals, thinking that the needs of the many exclusively outweighed the needs of the few. He and his party had been sent on a mission to the Stolen Lands to root out an illegal fighting ring. Tol's Arena was located in a mountainside cave, squarely placed within the territory of a green dragon named Mornmas. They had a deal with the dragon, in exchange for protection from authorities, the dragon would get a cut of the arena's proceeds, along with any bodies. Imalek's plan was to infiltrate into the arena as contestants, then while everyone was asleep, capture the arena's ringleader. Unfortunately, something went wrong, resulting in the death of him and his party. They were all left out in a pile for the dragon the next time he visited. Before Mornmas arrived though, Imalek's body had finished it's reconfiguration. Ciel rose from the mass of bodies, wearing the wizard's tattered, bloody robes. Seeking shelter, she stumbled her way into the cave that housed the arena. The gang running it saw a chance to get some cheap labor; a fresh mind in an adult body that was capable of basic cleaning and maintenance? it was like a godsend to these men. So for most of her life, Ciel was a maid for the patrons of Tol's Arena. Repairing clothing, cleaning, and maintaining their weapons. She was not treated well, mostly ignored. Like a broom one might keep in the corner. Though she had two very specific instructions. The first being to never leave the mountain, if she did, Mornmas would come for her. The second was to never enter the storeroom alone. Of course, a young girl told never to do something? Eventually, they do that very thing to see what happens. Ciel opened up the storeroom, looking through it's contents, to discover a rather peculiar pair of books on top of a worktable full of golem parts. One was a spellbook, the other a journal from a wizard, named Imalek. It detailed his adventures up to the night before the attack on the arena's leader. Connecting the dates, Ciel realized what exactly happened that resulted in her being here. She resolved to escape that mountain, if it was the last thing she did. The young android cobbled together some armor from the spare parts in the storeroom, presenting herself as eligible for combat. Tol's gang didn't take her seriously until she had punched their bookie. She was allowed to enter, on one condition. If she lost, her weapons would be taken away. Figuring they were actually referring to her armor, she agreed; stepping up to the plate to fight. She was faced down by a hulking orc with a longhammer. Unthinking, she rushed in, armed with only her fists. Unsurprisingly, she lost instantly. The orc's superior range kept her at bay, she didn't land a single blow. Keeping their word, the gang took their prize. The armor wasn't considered her weapon. It was her hands. They unceremoniously chopped off Ciel's arms at the shoulder, leaving her to bleed out. However, they underestimated the nanotech in her body; the small machines quickly sealed off her wounds. She was broken, humiliated, and scared. She lay there on the arena floor, barely daring to breathe, waiting until she was removed and tossed into Mornmas' tribute pile. She managed to stand after everyone had left, hobbling and limping towards the storeroom, operating the doorknob with her chin. Once inside she slumped against a wall, trying to figure out what to do next. Not exactly thinking rationally, she stumbled over to the worktable she had found the books on. The worktable that also had an iron golem's arm lying on it. The arm was of a delicate make, chain dotted with a few studs shaped like butterflies. Clearly not something made for a gladiatorial ring, but it had been anyway. Ciel figured that if golems were constructs, and if she was sort of a construct... she might be able to use this. If she had waited for her wounds to fully heal, what she did probably would not have worked. She sent a payload of her nanites into the arm, connecting it to her shoulder well enough that she could work it almost like it was her own. It was barely attached, but it worked for now. Over the next few weeks, she hid in a box in the storeroom. Working on improving her connection with the arm, both physically and mentally. At the same time studying Imalek's spellbook. She couldn't understand the spells within, but if she broke them down to their component parts, she could make a lesser approximation. After a while, she had a port built around her right shoulder, holding the new arm securely in place. She had searched for this golem's other arm, but it appeared that it had been destroyed in whatever fight it had been in. Thus she was forced to use scraps from other parts of it, and a few broken weapons to make another one. The result of her efforts was a very patchwork device inside, but covered in a plated shell of iron. Recognizing her weakness in her last battle, she incorporated a number of alchemist's fire payloads, a chain, and a winch into the arm. This allowed her to engage her foes in a fashion that would not cause her grievous injury right off the bat. Finally, after a month living in the storeroom, praying to Saranrae that no one would find her, she had two arms and a basic grasp of magic. She wrapped up her arms in some bandages from the arena's medical kit, pulled some gloves on, and stepped out into the atrium of the cavern. The patrons and the gang running the arena were utterly shocked to see her alive, much less with two arms again. She pointed to the orc that had bested her before, and then to the arena, simply stating: "You and me. Rematch. Now." The brute, previously feeling trepidation, grinned. This was going to be simple, it would go the same way every time. She still had no weapons, meaning she would need to come right to him. However, with her new enhancements, Ciel absolutely crushed him, tangling him in the chain from her arm, keeping her distance and firing bolts of electricity from afar. The orc crumpled, to the complete silence of the crowd. Ciel walked out of the entrance to the cave, taking a glass of wine from one of the patrons, chugging it, and smashing it on the ground outside. She took one of the canoes that the patrons used to get to and from the arena, heading down the mountain river towards Brevoy. Along the way, she capsized, almost drowning due to the weight of her arms. Right as she thought she had gotten freedom only to perish, she gasped for air on the shore of Fiend's reach. Upon arrival, she was welcomed into Douglas' Tavern. She had been staying there only a couple of days when an asteroid hit the moon outside, prompting quite a bit of "what the hell" from everyone in the Tavern. After a while the conquering heroes arrived via various teleportation methods. The patrons of the tavern had a good time that night, Ciel meeting a few of the more powerful denizens of Nibiru, including her future mentor, Kane. Kane and Ciel had aligning views on a few moral issues, after talking for a while they hit it off. Kane encouraging her to learn more complex magic, push herself to her limit. Despite her more primal magic, she excelled in her lessons with the wizard, impressing him with each new session. Eventually she took his suggestions to heart, moving on from learning parts of spells to actual, whole spells. Also daining to get her right arm regenerated at Kane's suggestion. Unfortunately, Kane died soon after his second lesson with her, having sent a substitute for her third. Ciel finally learned how transient everything in Nibiru truly was. Anyone could die at any time, despite the cities being seemingly safe and secure, this world was in fact trying to kill them. She tried to start a new apprenticeship with her substitute, who was one Cadence Dragonwood. Apparently Kane from a different world, which she really tries not to think about. Unfortunately, they began getting emotionally attached after Kane's death, making for a highly unprofessional relationship. Eventually, she took a job from Fr. Gregorian Redbeard, clearing out a warren of kobolds and goblins, who had been displaced in time by a creature known as a Time Flayer. The ensuing anomaly seemed to change the android somehow, which she is currently investigating. Reportedly, she seems to be outside of time, but able to interact with the perceived present somehow. She is relatively sure that she isn't going to fade out of existence any time soon, but is checking to be sure. Appearance Ciel has rather unkempt, black hair with several streaks of white throughout at regular intervals. She tends to put it up in a tiny, off-centered ponytail. She has pale skin, covered in spidering, runelike markings in a deep cyan color. They pulse gently most of the time, though when she really puts effort into something, they burst into bright light, almost enough to light up a room for a moment before settling down to a dull glow for the rest of that day. Her eyes are a deep blue, when looking into them, one could easily notice the multiple moving parts widening and narrowing her pupil, giving an uncanny feeling when looking at her. She has a rather curvy frame, and decently broad shoulders. She has a broad chest, partially due to her reconstructed shoulders. The tattoos seem to leave the front of her chest and abdomen entirely blank, only going down her sides. Her left arm has a chainmail casing over the mechanical parts of it, with a few ornamental pieces of butterfly-shaped pieces of metal adorning it. Personality After reading her 'father's' journal, Ciel has adapted more to fit his profile, though tempered by her own experiences. She tries to save anyone she can, especially if they are enslaved or otherwise held against their will. But in a world like Nibiru where she can falter often, she is prone to fits of depression when she fails. When she arrived in Nibiru, Ciel tended to take things very literally, not picking up on implications or social cues very well. Most of the time, she took what a person said at face value. Even if it seemed utterly outlandish. She didn't seem to know what to do with her face or tone as a general rule. When someone was kind to her, she knew to smile, but it seemed forced or wrong somehow. She has learned how to express herself better though, taking to metaphors better, gaining more control over her burgeoning emotions, and generally learning what she is meant to do with her face. Sometimes, if only rarely, she can even tell she is being lied to! Over time she has learned that she seems to be some sort of inspiration to some people, and tries to keep a smile on at all times. She tries to offer a kind heart to everyone she meets, even if she lacks a true one. Because she doesn't know what to do if she stops. Friends Aspirations Since arriving in Nibiru, Ciel has discovered a rather burning desire to help people. As well as desire in general. She has seen the feats of greatness that others seemingly pull off without thought, and aspires to reach that level. She has begun looking into magical research as a method of creating an actual business, probably a tavern, that should stand out from the rest. Category:Characters